His Last Breath
by Two to Tango Too
Summary: The last thing she sees is Koko's faint smile, and once again she drowns.
1. One

**Words: **1340

Happy AoGA House Cup!

* * *

Through the fluttering curtains that framed his window, he stares transfixed on the shadows shifting into different shapes and then molding into one in a lazy dance beneath the hazy glow of the moon. Somewhere, at the far corners of his mind, he can hear his doctor's disapproving voice, scolding him for letting the draft in, but he easily pushes it already letting sleep take him.

As dawn cracks through the window, Koko stirs in his sleep and slowly starts to wake up, blinking and dazed.

He takes deep breaths as he attempts to calm himself. Koko rubs his temples in pain; all these voices were harsh and raw, mixing together like a blended smoothie.

The voices in his head are pounding, and one of his hands grips the mint green sheets as he squeezes his eyes shut to try and squash down the pain. He is too preoccupied to hear the quiet knock on the door.

Minutes pass, and the person in front of the door becomes impatient. She stares at her silver wrist watch, contemplating whether to break in by force or to wait for the room occupant to open the door.

She decides to knock again. A weak 'Come in' comes from inside the room, and the voice is much raspier and more hoarse than she expected. She had been told the occupant of the room was Koko, a young high schooler, but the voice sounded like it belonged to a mutated cat combined with an old man.

"How are you doing?" she asks, mostly out of respect. She could already tell he is nothing but well. The tired-looking blonde on the bed seem not older than seventeen, but she could be wrong. He seems extremely weary, she notes. His fingers appear to be forcing pressure against his temple. The dark circles under his eyes contrast against the paleness of his skin.

Koko opens his eyes blearily and carefully swivels his head to the direction of the girl's voice, surroundings blurry. He pastes a strained smile on his face.

"I'm doing fine." He blinks a few times to clear his vision and looks surprised when he sees the person in the room.

"Misaki...sempai?"

"I thought I got the wrong room," she gives him a sad smile, "I'm not used to you being so…"

"Sick?" Koko fills, and then adds, "On the verge of death?"

Her brows meet into a scowl. "Don't say that," she scolds him, and decides to change the path their conversation's been heading to, so she continues, "No one bothered to enlighten me about you, so I thought it'd be polite to ask you yourself."

"Polite?" Koko repeats, his voice coated in both sarcasm and amusement.

"Don't be sarcastic with me, kid," Misaki chides. Koko gives her a small grin, like the one he used to always have plastered on his face in elemetary school, but not quite replicating it perfectly. Only then does he notice his sempai's outfit.

"Misaki-sempai... Why are you in a nurse outfit?"

The older girl winks and strikes a pose in a poor attempt to look girly. "What else? I'm your nurse, Koko! Suits me, don't you think?" She sashays her hips a little too much as she walks to the bed, making Koko cough out a chuckle under his breath.

Misaki stands by the foot of his bed, reading the clipboard that was hung on the bed frame.

"Really, though, I'm your nurse, so you have to behave or you know what will happen, right?" She cracks her knuckles without looking up from the clipboard.

Koko gulps, and in his fear, he accidentally activates his Alice. The voices come all at once, and he feels like he's drowning and quickly losing his breath.

Koko starts groaning, and Misaki hastily looks up; "Hey, I didn't actually mean that—"

"No," he interrupts her, "It's the voices."

"What?" Misaki asks, not fully understanding. She couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong with Koko— in fact, hardly anyone could. Despite having quite a common Alice, his current situation is hardly one doctors could find an answer to over afternoon tea.

"It's the voices," he repeats, albeit a little heated and much louder; he tries to compete with the talking in his head, hoping he could win over, but he barely succeeds, "They won't stop, I can't control them anymore…"

He wanted to scream. The voices are still echoing inside his head, it feels like it's going to burst. Beads of sweat flows on his forehead.

Misaki immediately appears by his side and brushes his hair out of his eyes, expression alarmed and worried. "What voices, Koko? What are you talking about?" The bed-ridden boy shakes his head furiously, once again closing his eyes and clamping his mouth shut to suppress himself from screaming.

Misaki picks up the Alice Limiting Device she brought, which came in the form of an earring, much like the one Natsume Hyuuga owns. With trembling hands, she puts it on Koko's left ear.

"Come on, Koko," she whispers. "Fight those voices."

"I can't." he stated hopelessly. "It's killing me."

She put her hand above his left shoulder as she smiled, encouraging him. "You can."

Koko, out of sheer helplessness, holds the other's wrist as he grits his teeth, mind swirling with incoherent voices and thoughts. Misaki doesn't protest and wipes his sweaty forehead, whispering encouragements softly.

"Come on, that's it, Koko. You can do it."

Misaki quickly dabs the towel folded on the bedside over Koko's forehead. His grip on her slowly pierces on her skin, which undoubtedly would leave marks later, but the thoughts quickly withdraw from her mind; Koko is obviously in pain. She's been with the kid enough to know that they are, at the very least, beyond the stage of awkward acquaintances. Although excluding calmness so as to not panic Koko if ever, she struggles to think of something to do to appease the hurt, not because of her duty as a nurse, but her role as a friend.

"Sumire," Koko murmured in pain. He repeated her name over and over again. Misaki heard this and it made her worry more than before.

"Koko," Misaki whispers after a while, when the patient repeated the name a couple more times. How is she supposed to say this properly? "Koko, Sumire can't see you. You know that."

Koko didn't reply, he's becoming weaker. His breath's paces are fast. He gripped nothing with his closed hand until it turned white.

The older girl bites her lower lip, both of her hands now clasping one of Koko's as the boy makes sounds suspiciously like pained whimpers at the back of his throat. "Shh, Koko," Misaki tries to soothe him, her tone bordering on desperation, "I'm right here. You can do it. Fight the voices for Sumire. You could do that, right?"

He hears Misaki's voice quite unclear over the voices, but he managed to catch snippets of 'for' and 'Sumire' together. Of course he'd do it. Of course he'd try. The voices are practically screaming in his head now, getting all tangled up in his mind and forming a big mess on his thoughts.

Despite this, he concentrates on remembering Sumire's voice, the way she laughs, the way she cries, when she's angry and shouting at him for being an idiot. It's the only way to shut down his Alice and prevent the voices in his head, although he's not quite sure, but he hopes. Misaki continues to talk, stroking the other's hand with her thumb. "You could do it. I know you could, Sumire knows it too." She knows she had tears forming in the corner of her eyes, but she wills them down for the boy's sake.

Her voice just mingles with the many others causing it to lose meaning in the crowd. He attempts to shake away the pain, "Sumire!"

He needs her at this moment, to reassure him, to tell him that she understands. After all, her nose bothers her at times also.


	2. Two

**Words**: 1166

Happy AoGA House Cup!

* * *

"Sumire!" Sumire looks around to find where the voice came from bit she finds no one. It sounded so real. She could feel the pain and loneliness within the voice but she ignores it, thinking that it was just her imagination.

She slumps back to her bed, her brows meeting into a frown. The hospital didn't have comfortable futons, and the sheets were itchy. Perhaps the voice from nowhere might be attributed to the lack of sleep she had gotten lately. Since the doctors have told her of her current state, she's been trying her hardest to remember something that could fill in the gap in her mind.

'Retrograde amnesia,' she hazily recalls them saying, voices dripping with sympathy, 'you have lost your memories before the incident has occurred, but it is unknown if you could still recover them or not. We're sorry.' She purses her lips in annoyance and shakes her head, giving another attempt at remembering the things her mind has lost.

In the past week, strangers have been coming in and out of her ward. There was a girl— No, a friend, Sumire quickly corrects herself— who made an effort to combine a ton of pictures in an album, all in chronological order, properly labeled with the date, with scribbles of what had happened. Her friend came an hour after Sumire woke up and introduced herself as Mikan Sakura. Yet as Sumire looked through the pages of the album obviously carefully put together, shecouldn't help but wonder of that one boy she hasn't seen since she woke up.

He has sandy blond hair, which frames his face in a wild, mischievous manner. "Who is he?" She mutters to herself as she flicks through the photo album. "And why does he matter?"

'He doesn't,' a voice in the back of her mind says. 'You forgot him for a reason.'

But she forgot almost everyone; even Mikan Sakura, and Mikan Sakura seemed like someone who was pretty important. Sumire is sure the voice was wrong, and that she forgot those who DID matter. She just wants to know why.

But why is the question it pains her the most to ask. The nurses urge her to let her memories return naturally. "Your memories shall return on their own, dear. _I_f you force them, it will only bring you agony."

Sumire nods as she stares blankly at the wall, there is a familiar smell lurking in the area.

Unable to pinpoint the odour, Sumire blames it on boredom and insanity.

When her head finally throbs and she feels exhausted, she decides to give it up for today and takes calming breaths. 'Tomorrow,' she says to herself firmly, 'tomorrow, I'll try again.' She can't help it; she somehow feels _pressured_ to regain her memories. But as she looks out the window and sees the lightening sky, she wonders if she could fill the impossibly big gap in just a matter of time.

On the room next to hers, though, lays Koko who couldn't, for the life of his, grasp on any silver lining. He prompts himself to think of Sumire, but then he gets hit by the fact that Sumire doesn't even know who he is.

The voices grow louder as people rush into the hospital. He can practically feel Mikan's boisterous thoughts swirling through the air.

Misaki places her hand on Koko's shoulder in comfort, "I'm sure she'll remember you one day".

"She screamed, Misaki-Sempai," Koko says as he tries to hold back the tears, "Just looking at me for that split second tortured both of us."

'The hospital should never be a place for Alices like Koko,' Misaki thinks. For a moment, she considers sending him to sleep, but Sumire wouldn't want that. In fact, she's pretty sure Sumire would force him to stay awake to fight the voices, just like she had made Koko talk when they were in elementary. But of course, while that remains in Koko's immediate memory, it most probably is absent in Sumire's.

She squeezes his shoulder reassuringly, though she herself is on the verge of panic. "Koko, please." she says, almost choking on her words. She leans her forehead against his and cracks a small, strained smile, attempting to help the boy. "Do it for Sumire. She wouldn't want it if you lose to some puny voices, right?"

Koko barely felt the hand squeezing his shoulder, but Misaki's forehead leaning against his seemed to have made a whole world of difference. All the voices become drowned out by Misaki's powerful inner voice.

'Please, please, please,' is now the only thing he can hear.

Koko's body begins to numb considerably as he listens to the repeated plea. He feels colder and shivers.

Misaki feels the change and realises Koko's ailment, "Oh my God, no, no no!"

Koko, being the mind-reader he is, hears Misaki's fears instantly.

Misaki clutches the convulsing boy's forearms and wills herself to think rationally. "Koko, think of Sumire. Please!" She put all the force behind her words, even in her thoughts for she knows that the boy could read her them (and by God, she just hopes it helps him more than it's adding to the harm). "Sumire wouldn't want you to die!"

"But Sumire doesn't even remember who I am!" Koko hisses. He knows he's supposed to think of Sumire, but knowing that his lifeline doesn't even remember him is too painful. And all those voices he can't control keep overpowering his own thoughts, and Misaki's inner voice isn't as strong now, and he wishes it could all end.

The boy's words makes the other's blood boil, and her voice rises a bit out of slight anger. "She will soon!" She shuts her eyes and channels all her thoughts to Koko. They both don't notice the Alice Limiting earring that's starting to glow. "Now fight-back-!"

He breathes in and out. Koko feels the sensation of Misaki's will filling his body, shouting to survive, to live for Sumire.

Misaki's thoughts embrace Koko's darkness, "She needs you here, Koko! Sumire needs your strength."

The Alice Limitation device glows even brighter, shining like a full moon before dimming suddenly.

"It's not easy," Koko's voice trembles, his words barely unclear, yet his breathing starts to level evenly, and his struggles for air stops. "How can she need me when-"

"She's not in a fairly good condition either," Misaki cuts him off, "But that doesn't mean she's not trying. She's holding on to something only she knows, and maybe, just maybe, she's holding on to you."

From the corner of her eye, Misaki sees a bright glow, and she feels relieved. A glow meant the Alice Limiting Device was doing its job - finally, she thinks.

Koko hears the thought, and he realizes that the voices in his mind are gradually becoming softer. Misaki's speech, however, resounds in his head. Maybe because he knows that deep down, he wants himself to be Sumire's lifeline as much as she is his.


	3. Three

**Words: **1078

Happy AoGA House Cup!

* * *

Misaki loosens her grip as she exhales shakily, bringing her hand up to brush Koko's sweaty bangs out of his eyes. "Great job, Koko." She murmured softly, pressing her lips on top of his head. "Now rest. You need it." The boy, with a slightly pink face (either from exhaustion or embarrassment, she has no idea) starts to weakly protest, but Misaki shushes and tucks him in.

As soon as his heart beat rates back to normal, Misaki silently leaves the room. She knocks on the ward adjoined Koko's, peers her head in, and sees Sumire's chest gently moving. Her recent words to Koko hit her again. If Sumire could remember something, anything, maybe it'd do the both of them some good.

She sighs sadly. 'They're too young to experience these things.' She closes the door carefully, so as not to wake the now sleeping occupant. 'But that's the way of life when you're an Alice. Far too dangerous...' she leans her back on the wall ironically separating the two, '...and far, far too painful.'

She tucks a loose stand of hair behind her ear in frustration. Misaki, aggravated with their fate, slumps against the wall.

To her, it seems love is misplaced inside the gates of the academy. Tsubasa taught her that when he disappeared.

"Good luck Koko and Sumire," she mutters as she picks herself up and walks away.

* * *

Sumire opens her eyes to darkness, and the only light coming through the room is from the small slit between the window curtains. She feels her nose twitch, and suddenly, she can smell lots of different food, from pasties to chocolates to cookie dough.

'Your Alice allows you heightened senses, like those of cats and dogs,' they told her.

Well, she is feeling kind of hungry right now...

She climbs out of bed, the alluring scents drawing her out of the room in haste.

Sumire quickly glances at a clock - 12:46. She nods to herself, there's barely any chance of seeing her old classmates (or at least the people who say they are). Walking down the hallway, she thinks about the boy. No-one has told her his name, and he's the only one in the photos she has yet to see.

She tells herself he doesn't matter; if he did he would have cared enough to visit.

She's trying to convince herself, he's just nothing but a distant friend. Fragments of memories played inside her head.

_"Permy will always be Permy!" she inhaled then shouted as she dashed to chase him. "Mind-reader!"_

She knows him, her partner, Kokoro. The boy who has always been there for her, who has encouraged her to wear her Alice with pride.

Where is he? Koko would have visited her, surely?

"We don't know what's happening to him," a voice trails on the hallway. They were obviously trying to keep it hushed, but the hospital is most peaceful at night. Sumire follows the direction of the voice, her naked feet not making any sound. The voice goes on, "We tried everything; we tested his blood, assessed his reactions, observed his movements, but it's his Alice swallowing him whole."

"There has to be something" Misaki's voice replies, "Koko can't die yet, Sumire needs him".

"There's nothing, he's lost the will to fight it" Sumire hears the first voice answer. "And Shoda-san shows no evidence of her condition lessening".

Sumire feels tears run down her face as she rushes towards the direction of the voices, "Where is he!?"

As she turns the corner, she sees through her tears Misaki and another nurse, wide-eyed and frozen.

Sumire suddenly feels a headache coming, and she has to lean on the wall for support. The two nurses quickly come to her aid, and she braces herself for the chiding she knows she will get.

'You aren't supposed to force your memories,' they'll say. So before they get the chance, Sumire quickly whispers, "Where is Koko?"

Misaki tenses, her hand on the younger girl's back, looking at the other nurse as she talks softly. "He's here, but he's okay." Sumire grits her teeth and snaps.

"Okay?! Then what are you talking about him losing the will to fight?!"

"Look Shoda-san, your accident affected him greatly, but he'll be okay, I promise" The nurse smiles warmly, "Now, we should probably get you back to bed . . . ."

"What? No! Where is he? Please Misaki-sempai, tell me!"

Misaki is silent for a while. Making Sumire and Koko meet right now could have drastic effects on their recovery, and it could go both ways: they could both recover more quickly, or get much worse. She decides not to take the risk, and let fate do its thing without her meddling.

"No, Sumire, I'm afraid I can't tell you that," she whispers in the girl's ear, in an attempt to comfort her. "Come on, let's get you back to bed; Koko wouldn't want you to worry yourself sick over him."

"He needs me, I'm sure of it" she cries, "I don't quite know why yet, but he needs me!"

Misaki just shakes her head, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry".

The nurse takes Sumire's hand, "Everything will be fine."

She walks with the nurse to her room, icy crystals falling silently from her eyes.

Misaki's eyes are drawn to the door of Koko's room when they pass by, but she quickly looks away. If Koko and Sumire have to meet, Misaki thinks, midnight probably isn't the best time for it.

Sumire is surprisingly quick and willing to climb into her bed, albeit crying the entire time. Misaki tucks her in, and she feels a sense of déjà vu.

Sumire is still uneasy, _because something is just not right with Koko_, but for the moment, she looks up at her sempai's face, tears slowly tracking her cheeks and voice soft and pleading. "Please," she begs, "please, do everything you can to make him better."

Misaki's chest tightens, and she pecks the top of her head (deja vu again, she notices) while enveloping her in a one-arm hug. "Oh, Sumire," she murmurs back, "we will. Of course we will."

Misaki waits until Sumire's eyes close before leaving the room, sighing as she closes the door.

"I wonder what made Shouda-san remember Kokoro Yome?" the other nurse asks.

"I don't know, but I guess we have to change those records now," Misaki replies. "Sumire Shouda is now showing evidence of her condition lessening."


	4. Four

**Words: **1236

Happy AoGA House Cup!

* * *

Koko wakes up the next morning feeling slightly rejuvenated after a somewhat fitful sleep (if feeling like the darkness could swallow you whole counts as fitful). Blinking sleep out of his eyes, he pushes the button inclining his bed to get comfortable when a voice calls out from behind the door. "I'm coming in!"

Misaki enters his room, carrying a tray of plain porridge in one hand, which makes Koko scrunch his nose. Misaki sees this and, grinning, brings out a box of sukonbu from her pocket.

Pickled seaweed - his favorite.

"I knew you'd hate the hospital breakfast, so I got you some sukonbu." Misaki looks down at the red box, and adds, "I still don't understand why you like this stuff, though."

Koko's expression shifts a little and he smiles at his hands perched on his lap. "Sumire..." he starts softly, chuckling, "...it's like Sumire's hair, isn't it?" A small grin makes a way to his face as he stares at his sempai again, eyes lighting up. "I think it's the color."

Misaki smiles guiltily, she decided earlier she wasn't going to meddle and she plans on sticking with it, "Yeah, it is quite similar".

Koko asks for a favour, lightly rubbing his temples but smiling none-the-less, "Sure" She replies, glad to see that he seems happier.

Koko looks at the hospital blankets tangled around his legs, "I know Sumire may never remember me, so can you make sure she always smiles? Sumire needs laughter."

Misaki doesn't know what to say to that. It almost sounds like Koko is saying he will die before Sumire remembers him, and she wants to tell him how wrong he is because Sumire already does remember him.

_Why can't fate do its thing faster?_ she mentally complains.

She puts down the food on the bedside table and ruffles Koko's hair before finally saying, "You don't know that she'll never remember you, kid. I'm not making any promises."

"I'm not stupid," Koko says in a low, quiet tone, "I know what's happening to me. But, Misaki-sempai, between Sumire and I, she deserves better than what she's going through. I hope she remembers soon, even if she forgets about me."

"I secretly looked at her records yesterday," Misaki lies. Koko doesn't have to know that she was both his and Sumire's nurse, because if he did, Misaki will probably live a short life. "She is remembering things, Koko. Sumire's apparently making slow and steady recovery; she'll remember everything soon, before you even know it."

"She drowned, Misaki-sempai, like the cat she is," he fiddles with his hands anxiously, "And I just watched her. Do I truly deserve her?"

"Of course, you do," she blurts, "She loves you".

"She loved me, now she barely knows me," Koko mutters, "Besides, time is relative, I could easily die before she even gets the chance to remember my name."

Misaki purses her lips, trying to look for words to say. "Look, stop talking like that." She gives him a stern gaze, and Koko suppresses a smile threatening to break out on his sickly face. "Or what, Misaki-sempai?"

Misaki looks around the room for ideas, and her gaze falls on the red box of pickled seaweed. A grin forms on her face as she picks the box up from the tray.

"Or you won't get any of this, and you'll have to deal with boring porridge." Misaki didn't think Koko could look any sicker, but he somehow manages and his face pales.

Koko quickly squeaks, drawing the blankets up to his chin as he makes another face at the porridge. Misaki laughs evilly and dangles the box away. "We-ell?" The young boy whines and they bicker playfully, but the only thought going around Misaki's head is hope that he'll take the bait when he suddenly yelps, "Okay, okay! I'll shut up, give me my sukonbu!"

"Don't deny a dying man his sukonbu," he muttered to himself, but Misaki heard it anyway. Her face fell for a second, but she tried her best to look composed. Misaki stared at Koko for a while before grinning at him and giving him his sukonbu. She ruffled his hair playfully and started walking towards the door. "I need to check on something. I'll be back."

As soon as she came out and closed the door, she pressed her hand on her forehead and sighed. 'Koko's barely a man', she thought.

Koko hurriedly opens the box and shoves a strip of seaweed in his mouth, enjoying the vinegar in it for a whole minute. He feels energized, and glancing at the door, hurriedly gets up and grabs the bowl of porridge. He rushes to the bathroom; he'll never have any of the plain porridge if he can help it.

"Koko, I'm back- where are you?" he hears Misaki's voice call, and _why can't the porridge flow quicker?_

He taps his foot in irritation. He can literally hear Misaki's steps.

"Stupid porridge; sickly and disgusting."

"Koko? Hello?"

Misaki's voice is nearer now, and _thank Kami-sama the bowl is finally empty_, he shakes the bowl clean and quickly flushes down the goop. He stashes the plastic bowl underneath the sink. "Um, here, Misaki-sempai!" He calls out, a small headache assaulting his brain due to the sudden movements.

As Misaki knocked on the bathroom door, Koko suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head, and soon, his head was on the bowl and he was vomiting. Misaki rushed inside as soon as she heard him gagging, and she rubbed his back to give him a little relief.

"That's what you get for not eating the porridge," Misaki mutters as soon as Koko slowed down his vomiting. She feels Koko freeze momentarily.

"I'm not that stupid, Koko, please. I didn't give you sukonbu so that you can skip out on breakfast."

The small teasing smile on her face is quickly replaced by a small frown when Koko starts to throw up again.

"Help me up" Koko shivers, the voices growing louder with every passing second.

Misaki picks him up, careful to face Koko's mouth away from her, before carrying him to his room. "I promise".

"Good, 'cause you didn't before Misaki-sempai" He smiles, weakly.

Misaki helped Koko lie on the bed and made sure he was comfortable. As Misaki poured a glass of water for Koko to drink, Koko wiped his lips with the back of his hand and immediately noticed a red smear on his hand. He then looked down and saw more red smears on his hospital gown.

He stared blankly at the smears before looking up at Misaki and whispered, "There's blood."

She quickly gave him the glass and ran back to the bathroom to check the toilet.

She could almost feel her breakfast rush to her mouth as she looked at the bowl full of porridge and blood.

She holds the sink for support and tears her gaze away from the bowl, trying to take calming breaths. When she deems herself okay, she immediately dumps the contents and flushes, throwing it away afterwards. She immediately goes back to Koko who's worryingly composed and silent, staring at the stains on the cheap fabric. "I'll get the doctor, stay here, okay?"

"Okay," Koko whispers, staring at the smear again. He knows what that means, and he knows that Misaki knows too. They've seen similar bloodstains so many times on Natsume, after all.


	5. Five

**Words: **764

Happy AoGA House Cup!

* * *

The doctor's face falls as Misaki updates him on Koko's health, "I don't know what else to do. . . He's just a boy".

The doctor puts her a cup of tea, as is customary for an upset client, staff or family member. "His Alice has lost control and it is obviously killing him, child. There is naught you and I can do but wait."

"You want to leave him like that?" Misaki asks incredulously, her eyes wide and furious. "We're Alices! There has to be someone who can-" "We are," the doctor says tartly, "But we are humans as much as those outside the walls are. I'm sorry, Harada."

Misaki desperately wants to retort, but she knows the old man is right and she slumps back in her seat, the fire in her eyes dying. "W-when..." She stutters shakily. "When will his mind..." She looks up, voice soft and clipped, "...give up?"

"We can never predict things like that," the doctor replies, his tone surprisingly cold and even. "But I would assume his mind will give up when he gives up. There's no cure besides hope."

Misaki looks down at the cup of tea she had been served, and she gets a strong urge to throw the boiling, hot water at the doctor's face. Then maybe he'll feel something called sympathy.

'You knew what you signed up for,' Misaki scolds herself, although bitterly, 'You knew your job means seeing people suffer, seeing people die.' She quickly erases the thought. 'No,' she wills herself to understand, 'Koko's not going to die, he's just going through a tough time.'

She attempts to calm herself as she places the tea on the table, "They're stronger than that."

She exits the room and heads out to see Sumire having breakfast with Mikan and Koko attached to a thousand machines. She notes how blissfully unaware they are and wonders if her decision not to meddle was a smart one.

* * *

Sumire found herself having breakfast in her room with Mikan Sakura, making it the third time this week. But this time, she has questions - lots of them, after what happened earlier in the day.

"So Natsume was like 'hn,' and then Hotaru said-"

"Mikan," Sumire interrupts, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but... do you know a Kokoro Yome?"

The brunette stills, her cup halfway in the air as she clears her throat and looks away. "Yeah, I do..." Mikan forces a smile, taking a quick sip of her hot choco. "What about him?"

"I think he needs me" Sumire says simply as she nibbles on a piece of toast. "And not one person will tell me where to find him".

Mikan sips her hot chocolate again, before it hits her.

"Wait, Sumire, you remember Koko? Do you... remember what happened to him?"

"No, but that basically means he needs me, doesn't it? Won't you tell me where to find him, Mikan?" Sumire pleads.

The other girl hesitates, plinking her cup on the small plate. "Sumire..." she says, a little uncomfortable, "Well, the thing is..." Sumire leans in, a desperate and hopeful look in her eyes that it pierces right through Mikan's heart (and she wonders why is life so cruel to them).

"I'm not supposed to tell you" she says, her voice becoming quieter, "But I'd want someone to tell me if it was Hotaru-Chan".

"So . . ." Sumire urges in hope that she may be able to save him.

Mikan's eyes twinkle, "He's next door, Permy, but I don't suggest you go in there".

Sumire feels frozen for a moment. Next door? The boy she had been wondering about, the boy she chose to try to forget about because he never visited, was _right next door_?

"I-I have to visit him," she whispers, standing up; but Mikan pulls her back down.

"You _can't_, Sumire; it'll just break your heart if you go in there!"

She tears away from the grip and glares back defiantly. "I need to go, Mikan," she says in a low tone, "I wouldn't _dare_ not meet him." With that, she turns and opens the door.

She sees him, covered in cords. Her breath stops as she sees the boy she still doesn't quite remember cough, causing a red liquid to splatter from his mouth.

Sumire approaches him silently hearing a faint mutter come from his lips; "So many voices, why won't they shut up? I miss you, Sumire".

"... Koko?" she whispers. The boy doesn't respond, but his eyes seem to glaze over. Sumire walks more quickly towards him.

"Is that you, Koko?"


	6. Six

**Words: **204

Happy AoGA House Cup!

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Koko is now struggling for his life. He thinks of Misaki, Mikan, Natsume, _anyone_, but he's failing miserably (and god, he _knows_ it himself). His vision darkens, and he tries so hard to fight back when he hears someone-someone who should have forgot about him call out his name.

"Is that you, Koko?"

_..Su..mire..?_

Koko tries to heft himself from the bed, he struggles to speak her name. She's here, and she knows who he is. Right now, he gives not a damn if she only remembers his name, it's not important. She's here, and that's all he could ask for.

He takes his last breath and smiles, content. In his final moments hers is the only voice that he hears.

His body limps before becoming flaccid, alerting Sumire to his end.

Sumire stands there, frozen, and memories start to flood her head. She remembers the incident that caused her retrograde amnesia; she is drowning, struggling for breath, and Koko stands nearby, frozen in shock.

She wills herself to move, to scream for help, to do something. But she can't do anything but stand and watch as her lover dies.

The last thing she sees is Koko's faint smile, and once again she drowns.

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-end_note- We hope you enjoyed our story guys! 8D Cheers from Team B.


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